


après ski

by aliveanddrunkonsunlight



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, F/M, Fake Dating, Secret Relationship, friend group shenanigans, relationship hijinxs, snowy scenery, winter vibes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:22:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28129074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliveanddrunkonsunlight/pseuds/aliveanddrunkonsunlight
Summary: Jaime, Brienne, and their friends take their annual trip to a ski lodge. Shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 74
Kudos: 107
Collections: JB Festive Festival Exchange Stocking Stuffers 2020





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Virareve](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Virareve/gifts).



> For the lovely virareve! Hopefully this comes close to your friend group prompt, with a spotlight on J/B.

When Jaime pushes the bedroom door open a crack, Brienne is so engrossed in her book, she doesn’t even look up. He stands there for a long moment, taking in the sweatpants from college she still wears, her last name and jersey number written up the side of one leg, the long sleeved t-shirt which is most assuredly his, and her glasses. “Hey,” he whispers and she startles, practically throwing the book aside. 

“Gods!” she hisses, clutching her chest. Jaime closes the door quietly behind him. He slips into bed next to her, holding her the way he knows she likes. When his chest is flush against her warm back, his arms around her middle, Brienne softens against him. 

“It’s one a.m., four eyes. Well past your bedtime.” 

She kicks her heel back, striking the top of his foot. “You _like_ my glasses. You told me I should wear them all the time.” 

“Mmm, it does go along with the sexy librarian aesthetic.” 

“Jaime.” she warns, but she’s chuckling and turns in his arms to kiss him. 


	2. Brienne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It gives her the perfect view of the snow covered balcony and the white capped mountains beyond.
> 
> “Wow.” Jaime shifts closer to her, his leg tangling with hers. “Although, the view right here is pretty great, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW.

When Brienne wakes, the weight of Jaime’s arm across her waist makes her think they are in bed at his apartment, so she’s confused by the unfamiliar looking bedside table and reaches for her glasses. _The ski lodge_ , she remembers as she slides them on. 

The ski trip has become a yearly event among their group of friends. They used to all cram into the Lannister family ski cabin, even if that meant some of the boys ended up crashing on the floor in sleeping bags, but as their group had expanded to include significant others, it became necessary to rent a bigger place. For the last several years, they’ve stayed in the same house, a place they deemed ‘the ski lodge’. Jaime, Tyrion, and herself had driven up a night early, but the rest of their group would be arriving today. 

The sliding glass door leading out to the balcony is covered by vertical blinds, but there’s a gap where Brienne didn’t pull them all the way closed, and it gives her the perfect view of the snow covered balcony and the white capped mountains beyond. She covers Jaime’s hand with her own and he starts to stir behind her. “Good morning,” he murmurs. His voice, gravelly from sleep, sends heat licking up her spine. 

“Look.” Brienne gestures at the view. 

“Wow.” He shifts closer to her, his leg tangling with hers. “Although, the view right here is pretty great, too.” Jaime runs his fingers gently through her hair, sweeping it aside to press a kiss to the notch of her spine where her neck and shoulders meet. She lets out a quiet, contented hum. His mouth begins to mark a path down the side of her neck and when he sinks teeth gently into the tendon there, she lets out a gasp. 

“Not fair.” Brienne murmurs, biting her lip when his hand slips under her shirt. His touch is gentle at first, fingers sweeping her breast, then thumb and forefinger circling her nipple as his warm mouth closes over her neck again. She presses her hips back into him, trying to muffle any sound, and he drops his hand from her breast, fingers splaying across her stomach, a gentle claim. 

“Can you be quiet?” There’s a challenge in his voice and too late she realizes what he means by it as his hand traces lower and lower, fingers sliding under the waistband of her pajama pants, underneath her underwear and down between her folds. But it’s _his_ breath which hitches in her ear and Brienne smirks, cherishing a moment of self-satisfaction. 

Her legs widen as he strokes her and she sets a foot firmly on the mattress, opening her body to him. His smile is a little _too_ smug and she reaches back to pull him down for a kiss, letting his mouth stifle her cries as his fingers circle her clit. 

“Fuck,” he rasps into her skin, nipping at her earlobe. As Jaime’s fingers draw her closer, she presses her ass back into him, and he lets out a choked gasp. His breath is heavy in her ear, telling her how worked up he’s getting, and she has to muffle her moans into the pillow as her thighs clutch around his hand. 

He kisses her neck softly, waiting for some of the haze to clear away. She rolls onto her back, her arm curling around his shoulder to kiss him. Brienne knows he’s been patient, and could feel him as she rocked her hips back against his pelvis. When she whispers what exactly she wants to do with him, Jaime groans, clutching her tightly. “Condom?” 

“In my bag. Outer pocket.” He starts to drag himself off the mattress, but leans down to drop another kiss on her lips. Without the heat of his body right next to her, Brienne shivers, pulling up the covers. 

He pulls a long line of condoms out of her bag and chuckles. “Well, well,” he intones, his eyebrows rising as the biggest smirk slides across his face. 

“Okay, smartass. At least I’m prepared.” She scrunches up her nose at him in annoyance. 

Jaime rips open the silver wrapper and shoves his boxers down with one hand, but lifts his gaze to her as he begins to roll the condom on. 

“Seven hells!” Brienne and Jaime’s heads both snap towards the horrified voice. Tyrion is standing in the doorway, looking shell-shocked. Even though her body is mostly covered, Brienne pulls the sheets up to her neck. 

“Tyrion, what the fuck?” Jaime’s face contorts with rage, but tries to keep his body turned away from his brother. 

“Get out!” They both shout in unison and Tyrion covers his eyes, backing away and closing the door. 

“Fuck fuck fuck _fuck_.” Jaime murmurs under his breath as he pulls his boxers back on. 

She hasn’t quite comprehended what just happened, so when he sits down on the bed next to her, handing over her shirt, she kisses him and says reflexively, “I’m sorry.” 

“No, _I’m_ sorry,” he tells her. “I know you weren’t ready for people to know.” They’ve only been dating for a few months and while she is ridiculously happy, Brienne is protective of how well things are going between them. She knows their friends have the best intentions, but can’t shake the idea that they might add pressure neither she or Jaime are ready for yet. 

“It’s not your fault,” she says softly. “Plus, everyone knows us pretty well. It’s possible they would have figured it out anyway.” 

“Oh, no, _no_. Everyone? No way. Tyrion’s not telling a soul.” 

“Jaime! We can’t ask him to do that.” He shrugs, as if to say, _we’ll see_ , and there’s a familiar smile on his face, one that she hasn’t seen in a long time, but which she used to think of as the unknowable Lannister smile. 

He’s already halfway across the bedroom and she scrambles to get her shirt on, hurrying after Jaime to prevent him from coming down too hard on his brother. 


	3. Jaime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne brings a cup of coffee out to Tyrion and offers the other to Jaime, who without thinking, brushes a kiss to her cheek in thanks. 
> 
> “Gods, you really are a couple. It would be sweet if I hadn’t just--” His brother gestures vaguely, turning his head away in disgust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is so ridiculously fluffy. And unbetaed, so all mistakes are my own.

Jaime tears out of the bedroom after his brother. “Why were you walking into my girlfriend’s room?” 

Tyrion is sitting on the couch, holding a pillow over his face, but he drops it, eyes widening in surprise. “Your girlfriend?” His brother glances between him and Brienne, who has appeared, hovering over Jaime’s shoulder. “You aren’t just fucking?” 

Turning on her heel, Brienne announces, perhaps a little too brightly, “I’ll make coffee.” The kitchen is open to the living area, so Jaime still has a view of all of the various warning looks she’s giving him. 

“I didn’t walk in unannounced! I knocked, but you _clearly_ didn’t hear me,” Tyrion grumbles. “I checked _your_ room first and when it was empty, I thought maybe you two had gotten an early start.” After a pause, he clarifies, “Skiing. Gotten an early start skiing.”

Brienne brings a cup of coffee out to Tyrion and offers the other to Jaime, who without thinking, brushes a kiss to her cheek in thanks. 

“Gods, you really are a couple. It would be sweet if I hadn’t just--” His brother gestures vaguely, turning his head away in disgust. 

Jaime considers whether this was a feasible idea on their part. He understands Brienne’s reasoning for not wanting to tell all of their friends yet, but Tyrion has inadvertently made a good point. How is he going to rein in the behavior that comes so naturally to him after only a few months? It seems a real possibility that he will forget they aren’t supposed to be “together” and do something like sneak up on Brienne from behind and wrap his arms around her waist. 

“How long?” 

He tries to hedge the question by saying, “A little while.”

But at the same time, Brienne replies, “Five months.” 

“Five months!?” Tyrion looks a little hurt that his brother hasn’t chosen to divulge his secret. “Were you going to tell us by the wedding at least?” 

Brienne flushes, glancing down, and Jaime has an uncontrollable urge to punch his brother in the nose, but she speaks calmly, “We know everyone means well, but we wanted some time to see how…” she glances over at Jaime, her eyes full of warmth. 

“Things go,” he supplies. 

“Like moving in together?” 

“Tyrion.” Jaime warns. 

“No, it’s okay. Best to get it all out now.” Brienne being willing to take Tyrion’s teasing for the sake of their privacy makes his chest swell with pride. 

“Um, about that,” he speaks up. “We aren’t exactly ready to tell everyone yet and we thought, maybe, you would be willing to help us keep it secret?” 

“For Brienne, I would.” His brother takes a sip of his coffee, a guileless look in his eyes one moment and the next, they darken, a sly smile sliding across his face. “For you, I don’t know.”

“Seven hells,” Jaime intones, sinking down to a perch on the edge of the large fireplace. He sets his mug on the ground and rubs his hand across his jaw. “What would you have me do?” 

“Oh, nothing comes to mind at the moment,” Tyrion says innocently. “But I’m sure, not too far in the future, there will be a time of need.” 

“Fine,” he spits, standing and offering his hand to his brother. 

“At least lock the door next time.” Tyrion grouses as he takes his coffee to his room. 

*

It’s still early and they discuss hitting the trails, but the thought of getting all their ski gear on for a couple runs doesn’t seem worth it. Jaime wants to do something to work off some of the nervous energy that has been building up under his skin. 

There’s a park nearby which is popular with snowshoers, so after Brienne makes them a quick breakfast and they pull on their various layers, they head out, the snow crunching underneath their boots. 

“We could just tell them,” she says as they walk around the frozen pond in the park’s center, her arm looped through Jaime’s in an effort to keep warm. 

“It __is__ going to be difficult to go back to being just friends.” 

“Friends,” she lets out a small laugh. “What was that even like?” 

“I honestly don’t remember,” he chuckles. “This is better.” They’d known each other for nearly eight years, but it wasn’t until Brienne moved to Lannisport for a job that they began hanging out regularly. They still teased each other like they had for years, but there was something new, a current of electricity that was never there before, or at least, never developed in the short amount of time they had spent together in the past. 

She leans into him, confessing, “I’ve been really happy.” 

“Me too.” He grins, pulling his arm out of hers and looping it around her shoulders. 

They both take in the quiet stillness around them, pointing where delicate icicles have formed on tree branches or dripping down from rocks. “Do you really think Tyrion won’t say anything?” 

“My brother can be cunning, but I don’t think he would go back on his word.” He wishes he could do more to ease the worry creasing her brow. “It would be funny to tell everybody at the end of the trip. I want to see everyone’s faces.” 

“You want to _gloat_.” 

Jaime slips his arm from her shoulders. Even through her puffy winter coat, his eyes linger on her ass, his hand pressing there suggestively for a moment before his arm loops around her waist. “Can you blame me?” 


	4. Brienne II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hijinks get hijinksier.

Brienne orders enough takeout to feed double the size of their group. As various members of their party trickle in all afternoon, seeing everyone in one place makes her a little wistful, remembering how when they were younger, they would spend nearly all of their free time together. Now half of them don’t even live in the same city anymore. 

Margaery was always the most social of their group, collecting friends as quickly as flies to fruit, and she and Loras came as a package deal. Brienne met Tyrion and Sansa through classes, so they became integrated into the group, and when they were seniors, Loras started dating Renly. 

Jaime’s friends became theirs by way of Tyrion, although Brienne distinctly remembers how much older all of them seemed at the time, already starting their careers. 

As Brienne greets everyone, a part of her is holding back when others ask about her new-ish job and how she’s liking Lannisport, because she can’t mention a very big part of her life there. 

Oddly, she spends the most time catching up with Dacey, even though they live in the same city now and have been hanging out more often. Margaery and Sansa are thoroughly occupied by Loras and Renly, then by Tyrion and Tysha.

Jaime breaks away from his cousins, Daven and Damion, and drops onto the couch next to her with a sigh. “Sometimes these things make me feel old.” 

“Like that invitation to your college reunion?” she teases him. 

“Wow, a shot across the bow.” he replies, clutching his chest, but his eyes are dancing with laughter. “You’re no spring chicken yourself.” 

She shoves his knee. “I’m still in my twenties!” 

Jaime pretends to check his watch. “For another four months.” 

Brienne glances around to see if anyone is watching them, but even Tyrion is busy talking to Dacey, so she leans her shoulder against his, lowering her voice, “I hope you’re thinking of a really good present to make up for that comment.” 

“Oh, I’m thinking of several.” He practically waggles his eyebrows, which should be goofy, but Jaime somehow makes it endearing and she hates him for it. 

“Go now before someone sees. Shoo!” 

“You started it,” he intones lowly, pressing a warm hand to her knee before standing up. 

*

One of their traditions on the ski trip is to go night skiing, but after a long day of travel, most of the men decline. “Then the women will go!” Margaery declares, roping in Dacey and Brienne. 

As she is trying to wheedle Sansa to come along, Brienne heads back to her room to change. Halfway down the hallway, she notices Jaime following. “Do you want me to come?” 

“If you want. If you would rather stay here and catch up with the guys, that’s fine. It might be nice to have time alone with Sansa and Margaery.” 

“Okay,” he replies, starting to step forward to give her a hug, but remembers himself just in time, as Tysha comes out of one of the bedrooms. 

Once she passes, Brienne reaches out and squeezes his wrist. “See you later.” 

“Let me know when you’re on your way back,” he replies, lowering his voice. She gives him a thumbs up and goes to change. 

*

After skiing, Brienne ends up at a real lodge crowded around a table with Margaery, Sansa, and Dacey. The lodge is beautiful, one half is filled with beautiful wood dining tables, the other half is more of a lounge area with couches, armchairs, and coffee tables, giving the whole space a very cozy, homey vibe. There’s a giant stone fireplace in the center of the room, and she sips a hot toddy while Margaery and Sansa talk about wedding plans. 

When Dacey heads back to the bar to get them another round of drinks, Marg glances conspiratorially at Sansa, and Brienne knows to brace herself for whatever is coming next. “How is Lannisport? Sansa says you’ve been really enjoying the library. Are there any available men?” 

“At the library?” Brienne snorts. “There are probably ten women to every man.” 

“Then I have a proposal for you.” Margaery’s doe-like eyes are wide with excitement. _Oh gods._ “You should date Addam.” 

Brienne laughs but notices Margaery and Sansa aren’t. “Oh, you’re being serious.” 

“Didn’t you used to go to hockey games together?” Sansa asks. 

She has to wrack her brain to remember. It was when they both still lived in King’s Landing. “Yeah, a few times, but as friends. We both like sports.” 

Sansa arches an eyebrow. “None of the reasons you’ve given are a deterrent,” Margaery adds. 

Brienne feels a little betrayed that her best friend has fallen into Margaery’s ploy. It used to be that Sansa would stick up for Brienne or at least take her side when it came to Margaery’s machinations. 

She glances over at the bar to make sure Dacey isn’t heading their way. It somehow feels wrong to divulge information about one of her friends to other friends, like she’s betraying her confidence, but it’s her only argument right now. “He and Dacey are a thing, I think.” 

But Margaery brushes it aside. “Very on and off.” 

“Oh, so me throwing myself into the mix is going to help?” She loved Marg but often her plotting was more about the dramatics and less about the reality of the people’s feelings involved. 

“It might. Maybe he’ll fall madly in love with you. In fact, he _should_. Give me your phone, I’ll send him a text from you.” 

“No!” Brienne objects a little too vehemently, thinking of the extensive string of texts she and Jaime have exchanged for the entirety of their relationship. She knows without looking that he’s the name at the top of her text queue and there might be a little lion emoji after his name and maybe, just maybe, a yellow heart. Brienne, who is uber professional and will not even put her closest friends into her phone without their last names, has emojis after her boyfriend’s name.

Dacey returns to the table with their drinks. She must see the panic on Brienne’s face because she shoots her a questioning glance. “You okay?” 

“We were just pestering Brienne about her love life,” Margaery says brightly. “We were trying to get her to send a text to Addam.” 

Dacey’s face falls. “Oh.” 

“But I can’t.” Brienne replies, trying to explain the situation to Dacey without being obvious about it. “Because I’m already sort of seeing someone.” 

Sort of. They’re together almost every night. Jaime has started waking up even earlier in order to have breakfast with her before she leaves for work, and even though it’s several months away, they’ve talked about moving in together when Brienne’s lease is up in the spring. 

This earns wide eyes and nearly feral shrieking from Margaery and Sansa. Dacey is much more calm about the whole thing. She _knew_ she liked Dacey. 

“Who is he?” Sansa asks.

“Or she?” Margaery adds hopefully.

Brienne panics and instead of saying something vague like, “oh, we met at a work conference” or “through a mutual friend” or even “online dating”, she blurts out, “It’s Jaime.” 

“ _WHAT._ ” 

*

Of course after they’ve asked her a million questions, most of which Brienne tells the truth about, Margaery says, “You should tell everyone!”

“We talked about it,” she says, which is certainly true. Somehow she miraculously steers the topic of conversation away from her for a minute and before Sansa or Margaery can ask another question about Jaime, Brienne says she needs the restroom. She walks as quickly as she can, phone clutched in her hand. If she knows Margaery, she’s already composing a group text. 

Brienne calls him. _Pick up pick up pick up_ , she prays as his phone rings. On the third ring, he answers, his voice all low and soft, “Hey, is everything okay?” His concern for her safety while night skiing almost makes her cry. 

“Yes, everything’s fine. Listen, uh, I kind of told them.” 

“ _Brienne_.” 

“I know, I know, but they were pressuring me about dating and Margaery wanted to use my phone and oh my god, our texts.” 

“Brienne, can you slow down?” 

“They wanted me to text _Addam_ , and Dacey was sitting there looking all hurt, so I just blurted out the first thing that came into my mind and it was...you. I’m so sorry.” 

“So we’re fake dating?” 

“Yes? No. I don’t know.” 

“But we’re _really_ dating. Why don’t you just tell them?” 

“Well, everyone is going to know now anyway. That’s why I called you. I’m sure Margaery is sending out some massive group text as we speak and you’re about to get a million questions thrown at you.” 

“Then get back here so we can field them together. Okay?” 

“You’re not mad?” 

He laughs. “Why would I be mad? This at least means we get to sleep in the same bed without sneaking around, right?” 

She huffs into the phone, but he has a point. “ _Bye_.” 

“See you soon,” he replies, still laughing. 


End file.
